Poster Session on Capitol Hill
Council on Undergraduate Research's Poster Session on Capitol Hill
April 2008 — Washington, D.C.
Mizzou nominates undergraduate researchers on an annual basis to serve as ambassadors. Students share their university research experiences with national lawmakers in Washington, D.C. in the Undergraduate Research Poster Session on Capitol Hill, sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR).
This event helps members of Congress understand the importance of undergraduate research by providing them with the opportunity to talk directly with the students affected by the programs funded by Congress. Nothing more effectively demonstrates the value of undergraduate research than the words and stories of the student participants. This event highlights the high-quality research being conducted by undergraduates at Mizzou.
The committee looks for students who have been significantly involved in the research endeavors of the University either with their own projects or through meaningful involvement with ongoing faculty projects. To qualify for participation in the event, nominees must meet the following criteria:
- Students must be undergraduates at Mizzou during the 2007-08 academic year.
- Research must have been conducted under the guidance of a Mizzou faculty member.
- The research project must have been presented as a poster at either an on-campus poster session or at a professional meeting by Dec. 1, 2007.
- CUR requires that research projects represent at least one of CUR's divisions: Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences, Mathematics/Computer Science, Physics/Astronomy, Psychology or Social Sciences.
Successful nominees would be able to convey their experience and enthusiasm to national legislators and other elected officials in a poster session. Selection of nominees is based on the quality and nature of the project and the student’s ability to represent Mizzou.
Nominations are due to the Office of Undergraduate Research on Oct. 24, 2007. Notification of acceptance occurs in mid-February 2008. A campus committee will screen applications for academic discipline representation, appropriateness of research topic and communication skills. The top two nominees and one alternate will work with the Office of Undergraduate Research to submit their project to the national competition. Funding for Mizzou national ambassadors will be provided by the vice provost of research.
Students selected to serve as national undergraduate research ambassadors will be asked to attend several meetings and workshops in preparation for the event. Workshop topics will include presentation skills, how to meet and greet lawmakers and other protocols. Students will also be asked to prepare a brief presentation on their work suitable for delivering the “take-home message” in a few minutes. Students will participate in a practice session in late March/early April.
Last year, two Mizzou students, Adam Prasanphanich and Robert Jinkerson, presented their research along with nearly 80 other undergraduate students from across the U.S. on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Adam was selected for his work with Dr. Charles Smith on the development of highly specific radiopharmeceutical and molecular imaging agents for diagnosis of human cancers. Robert was chosen for his work with Dr. Gabor Forgacs on bioprinting.
Faculty are encouraged to seek the assistance of their nominee in completing the nomination form. For additional information, contact Linda Blockus, PhD, in the Office of Undergraduate Research, 150 Bond Life Sciences Center at 573-882-5979 or BlockusL@missouri.edu.
Missouri residents may also apply to present at the Posters on the Hill event.
